Much colder

Yesterday and today. Theo and I have had some very brisk walks.

On one of them, yesterday morning, early, we saw this heron (I think it's a heron) on a rooftop. Unusual. Herons mean all sorts of things, of course. But I've decided to go with a general affirmation, as I do with deer: you're fine.

I've done some baking every day recently, but this Easy Little Bread is the most interesting and truly was easy, coming together quickly with just one brief rise.

A busy Sunday

So many things to make. I keep lists. Today's main project was this bread: parmesan peppercorn. Not a no-knead recipe but the baking method (a Dutch oven) and the result look like that kind of bread.

The dough was downright silky. Truly lovely to work with.

It had three rises. This is after number 2. I think. 

Here's the parmigiano-reggiano, all ready to go:

And heres's the bread just out of the oven:

I also made fried sage. Wow: really delicious. And super fast.

And for dinner, a very nice salad, adapted from this recipe. Arugula, wild rice, toasted pecans, feta, pomegranate arils.

And here, with salmon.

Also today I set up my new sewing machine. A Baby Lock. All the machines in this series, The A-Line, have girls' names. This one is Rachel.

In the foreground is the imperfect but perfectly functional apron I made with the machine I borrowed from my friend Laura.

Lastly, the weather. Rainy. Some interesting skies. Wind on the way, they say. I'd like that.

Pomegranates really are pretty special

A very persuasive salad of spinach; roasted acorn squash; sautéed zucchini, mushrooms, and asparagus; toasted hazelnuts; feta; and, the star, pomegranate arils. Those little things have a lot of power.

Two photos, neither of which does justice to this terrific salad, which I served with beef tenderloin.

Soup for a Thursday

I was inspired by my sweet friend Kelly to make soup. She's always making soup, it seems.

This is Swiss chard and white bean soup. Pretty, delicious, and healthy. And a simple recipe.

In a supporting role: feta-dill biscuits. Frozen and then reheated. Just fine. 

A really lovely little dinner. 

For a birthday

Cupcakes aren't exactly my speciality. Too cute. Or potentially too cute. I prefer baking bread.

Anyway, these cupcakes are cute-ish. Best I could do. Chocolate-espresso with espresso icing. With a chocolate-covered coffee bean on top. That's my nod to cute.

November, right on schedule

It's November and feels like it. That's not always the case, so it's nice when it is. Sure, unseasonable warmth can be pleasant, but I also appreciate weather that makes sense.

Here's a good November bread: cheddar-cranberry soda bread. KAF recipe.

A few notes: I left out the walnuts; this loaf only baked for 60 minutes, not the 65-75 the recipe recommends; I tented not at the end but from about 15 minutes into the cooking time as it was browning quickly.

And as for buttermilk: I'm a believer, and I admit to adding a teensy bit more than called for. My feeling is: with buttermilk, you can't go wrong.

Oh, and yes, it's very good.